Be Careful for What You Wish For

Cook Political Report: “Minnesota Republicans entered 2026 giddy at the possibility of ousting Gov. Tim Walz, hoping a wave of discontent over a sprawling fraud scandal would help them deny the Democrat a third term. But Walz’s January decision to end his reelection bid under intense pressure from the GOP appears to have come back to bite his critics. U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, a popular four-term incumbent who can’t be easily tied to waste in state government, quickly unified her party behind a gubernatorial campaign that leaves Republicans without a viable path to victory.”

“Given Klobuchar’s long track record of electoral success, the overall national climate and the prospect of an ugly GOP primary fight that probably won’t be settled until Aug. 11, this race shifts from Likely Democrat to Solid Democrat.”